Adarsh land may not have been on state records

Sanjay Dikhle, superintendent of city survey and land records, Mumbai city, on Wednesday accepted in front of the two-member commission probing the Adarsh scam that the receipt of paper possession of disputed land did not have the city survey number mentioned on it.

Dikhle, who is facing the cross-questioning from commission counsel Dipan Merchant, admitted that the receipt dated October 4, 2004, sent by the revenue department to the collector of Mumbai did not mention the city survey number.

This acceptance from the city survey officer could well mean that the disputed land was not even in the records of the state government before October 4, 2004. Dikhle on Tuesday had accepted that the land in question was in the possession of defence department. Merchant had referred to the allotment order dated July 9, 2004 from revenue department to the collector which has stated that, ‘the approval is given to give on ownership basis, the land measuring 3758.82 sq mts, which is at present in possession of defence department for Adarsh CHS.

Following the oral assurance given the state counsel RM Vasudev on Tuesday, the ‘yet to be traced’ survey sheets were presented before the commission. The list of sheets presented also included survey sheets of the area surrounding the land in question. However, sheet no 772 turned out to be a blank sheet.